UNAC Conference Journal and Website Compliments of Papillonweb Development, 2020 [email protected] UNAC Conference 2020 Rise Against Racism, Militarism and the Climate Crisis Building Power Together
A National Conference Hosted by The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
February 21-23, 2020 at: The Peoples Forum 320 West 37th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues) New York, NY 10018
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) has made great strides since its 2017 conference which was held in Richmond, Virginia. Since that time new organizations have joined our coalition. Our members have traveled as part of delegations to Venezuela, Ukraine, Syria and Cuba. We have held conferences on U.S./NATO military bases in Baltimore, Maryland and Dublin, Ireland. We have organized against the militarization of police departments, AFRICOM, and punishing sanctions against other nations. Our members prevented the illegal Venezuelan coup government from taking over the Washington embassy, while others walked picket lines with striking workers.
In 2020 we mobilize against ecocide, white supremacist policy and war in all its forms. We gather to put the issue of peace before the voters in an election year and to protest against anti-immigrant policies. Our principles of unity will be strengthened as we gather to stop the wars at home and abroad.
The UNAC conference will be a place where we deepen that unity and build the our movement for the next stage of struggle. Schedule
Friday:
6:00 PM: Doors Open and Registration 7:00 PM: Panel: Opposing Imperialist Wars Moderator: Joe Lombardo Panelists: Bahman Azad, Ann Wright, Bernadette Ellorin, Camilo Mejia 8:30 PM: Cultural Event: Music with Aya Aziz
Saturday:
9:30 - 11:30 AM Panel: Militarism, Racism and Climate Change Moderator: Cassia Laham Panelists: Jeff Mackler, Medea Benjamin, Diane Moxley, Jean Luc Pierite, Makasi Motema 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Panel: Opposing Sanctions Moderator: Sara Flounders Panelists: Omowale Clay, William Camacaro, Susan Adely, Juyeon Rhee 1:30 - 2:30 PM Lunch /Speakers: Keynote: Glen Ford Updates: Scott Williams: RNC, Lana Akindes: DNC 2:30 - 4:00 PM Workshops: Ban Nuclear Weapons Alice Slater, Clare Grady, Carly Brook, Yasmeen Silva United State's Military's Role in Exacerbating Environmental Degredation Pippa Bartolotti, Diane Moxley, Alison Bodine Identifying U.S. Regime Change Campaigns (Venezuela, Syria, Iran, DPRK, Bolivia, Nicaragua) Kevin Zeese, William Camacaro, Jill Clark-Gollub, Nuri Ronaghy Utilizing the People(s)-Centered Human Rights Framework to Oppose Imperialist War Ajamu Baraka, Cheri Honkala 4:30 - 6:30 PM Panel: Defending our Movement Moderator: Margaret Flowers Panelists: Kevin Zeese, Michael Smith, Frank Chapman, Chip Gibbons/Mara Verheyden Hilliard, Pam Africa Schedule
6:30 PM Dinner 7:30 PM Evening Event on Palestine, Film:Gaza Fights for Freedom Intro: Enas al Saffadi, CodePink NYC Middle East Discussion: Abby Martin, Director Concurrent: Action Planning / Art Build for Sunday’s 4pm March to Greyhound NYC Youth Sunday:
9:30 - 11:30 AM Panel: Make Peace and Election Issue Moderator: Ajamu Baraka Panelists: Margaret Kimberley, Adrian Bonifacio 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Workshops: U.S. imperialism Creates Migration Crisis - Sanctions, Economic Dislocation, Border Crisis Organized by International Migrants Alliance Oppose US Wars Against China & Russia Sara Flounders, K.J. Noh, SiuHin Lee, Ray McGovern Seeing Through FOG of Propaganda - tools for analysis Margaret Kimberley, Judy Bello, Danny Haiphong Resisting Militarism in our Communities Frank Chapman, Kim Ortiz, Chairman Shaka Zulu 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch with Panel Truth in the Face of Repression: Clare Grady, Moira Melzer-Cohen, Ray McGovern 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Points of Unity and Action Proposal Points of Unity: Jeff Mackler Action Proposals: Rhonda Ramiro, Taryn Fivel 3:30 PM Action: March to Port Authority Greyhound Terminal:ICE Off the Buses Motivation: Rosa de la Torres, Yousef Zakaria
4:00 PM March Begins UNAC Principles of Unity
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) fights against wars at home and abroad. Our goal is to bring together organizations and movements representing people in struggle today and unify in collective action against the major perpetrator of war and injustice in the world: the U.S. government, along with its allies and proxies.
Principles of Unity:
1 - Opposition to all U.S. wars and interventions
UNAC holds that the U.S. government, and the corporations it serves, are the major cause of conflict and misery in the world today. Wars are greenlighted with no debate and no end point in order to maintain U.S. hegemony over resources and because war is hugely profitable to the war industry. We do not recognize the right of Washington to militarily intervene anywhere in the world, for any reason. We oppose all U.S. wars, threats of war, proxy wars, blockades, sanctions, covert actions, cyberwars, drone wars, no-fly zones and any other interference in the internal affairs of other countries. We do not support the concept of “humanitarian intervention.” We call for the closing of all U.S. foreign bases, the elimination of all nuclear weapons, beginning with the U.S. arsenal and the transfer of trillions of tax dollars used to prepare for and conduct wars to meet domestic needs and provide reparations to the countries where the U.S. has caused human and material destruction. Abolish the war budget! Fund human needs not wars!. No to U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Cuba and all other nations subjected to what are effectively U.S. acts of war.
2 - Support for the right of all oppressed peoples to self-determination
We support the right of all oppressed peoples, including colonized and formerly colonized countries, to determine their own road to liberation. The U.S government has no right to dictate to other countries what leaders, social or economic systems they can have. If the U.S. were to end its attempt to control the world, other peoples would be much more able to make whatever changes they see fit in their own countries. We do not have to agree with a targeted country’s leaders in order to oppose U.S. aggression against that country. As political activists in the heart of the Empire, our job is to oppose U.S. imperialism. In the particular case of Palestine, we support the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own future and we oppose any U.S. aid to the racist colonial, apartheid settler state of Israel. We support the Palestinian demand for a democratic, secular Palestine based on pre-1948 historic Palestine. This includes the right of return of all dispossessed Palestinians. Domestically, we support the right of oppressed communities to practice self-determination and decide for themselves how to build their own organizations. We welcome such organizations into our coalition.
3 - Connecting the Issues
As the U.S. government seeks to continually reshape the world for the benefit of U.S. corporations, we all face endless imperialist wars and occupations that contribute to death, destruction and poverty around the globe.
The system’s insatiable need for energy resources is a major cause of war that subjects us to environmental contamination and the horrors of global warming. The connection between the endless U.S. wars and the climate crisis is unmistakable with the Pentagon literally first in the world as an institutional polluter. Wars and climate change displace millions, producing the greatest refugee crisis in history. Here at home, wealth inequality has never been greater, yet the obscenely rich constantly strive to widen the gap while we pay for their murderous quest for riches by cuts to health care, education, housing, unemployment and low wages.
Racism, colonialism and neocolonialism are necessary adjuncts to imperialist aggression. Racism, sexism, homophobia, LGBTQI discrimination and Islamophobia divide working people. Sexist exploitation, repression and violence against women are deeply ingrained in society at all levels and are used as tools of war. Further, a country engaged in endless predatory war inevitably itself becomes militarized. Domestic police forces now look and act like occupying armies. Drugs that originate in war-torn countries flood our communities, bringing violence and more suffering. UNAC opposes mass incarceration and the associated for-profit near slave labor prison-industrial complex, the domestic wars of police brutality and murders in low-income communities, especially communities of color; the wars against immigrants, Muslims, women, the LGBTQ community, low- wage workers and the environment, while explaining the connections between the wars at home and those abroad. It is only by linking all fronts of the same war that we can build a people's movement that has the power to achieve real peace and justice. We stand for the freedom of all political prisoners, including Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier and thousands of others who are victims of the racist and classist criminal injustice system.
4 - Independence from the parties of Big Business
Here in the U.S., basic democratic rights won through bitter struggles are being steadily taken away through rigged elections, gerrymandering and the disenfranchisement of people of color, youth, ex- prisoners and more. Despite whatever differences may exist between the Republican and Democratic parties, they are both controlled by the same big banks, corporations and other financial institutions. They are both organized and function to defend the interests of the one percent. While UNAC affiliates are free to support any electoral candidate they choose, as a coalition we do not ally ourselves with the parties of war.
5 - Mass mobilizations as a primary means of struggle
UNAC recognizes that there are many ways to fight for justice and peace and we support a wide range of tactics. At the same time, we understand that historically it has been independent mass mobilizations that have led to fundamental changes both here in the United States and in other countries. To prepare for these mobilizations, we emphasize continual education, outreach and support for local campaigns.
6 - Quick response to events at home and abroad
UNAC recognizes that we must be ready to respond quickly to political, economic and military developments. This has been our history as a coalition.
7 - Defense of civil liberties
Since 9/11, our civil liberties increasingly have been under attack, from the passing of the Patriot Act to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which legalized indefinite detention. The government seeks to make speaking out a crime, claiming this supports terrorism. Whistleblowers are now the criminals. The Snowden revelations have revealed how massive the surveillance state has become, along with the militarization of the police. Support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel is being criminalized. The media parrots the government line. UNAC continues in the long tradition of antiwar and social justice activists being in the forefront of defense of civil rights and liberties and serves on the Board of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms. UNAC proudly defends Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and other heroic whistleblowers who courageously expose the truth about U.S. government wars and interventions. We defend their free speech rights and the right of the people to be fully informed about the operations of the U.S. government. We are ardent defenders of the four Venezuelan Embassy Protectors, whose actions exposed the Trump administration’s spurious appointment of Juan Guaido as president of Venezuela as an unmitigated fraud and a violation of international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty. 8 - Mutual self-defense
UNAC promotes the long-standing labor slogan of “An Injury to One is an Injury to All!” When one section of the movement is under attack, the entire movement must mobilize in support. We are particularly committed to defending our own affiliates from legal, political and physical repression.
9 - Commitment to a democratic decision-making process
UNAC believes that our coalition must reflect the kind of society that we want to build. As such, our highest decision-making body is our bi-annual conference, where affiliates propose, discuss, debate and vote on a national Plan of Action. Affiliates are invited to have a representative on the national Coordinating Committee (CC), which holds a bi-monthly national conference call and a periodic leadership gathering. The CC elects the members of the Administrative Committee (AC), which is responsible for guiding the coalition between conferences. The AC selects the national Co- Coordinators, who are responsible for the day-to-day work of the coalition.
If your organization agrees with these Principles of Unity, we invite you to affiliate with UNAC.
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Participating Organizations Anakbayan Mobilization Against War and Occupation Baltimore Peace Action (MAWO) Bayan USA New York Communities for Change Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace Nodutdol Big Apple Coffee Party One State Assembly Black Agenda Report Peace Action New York State (PANYS) Black Alliance for Peace People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism Black is Back Coalition - New Abolitionist and Racism (POWIR) Movement Popular Resistance Coalition to March on the DNC Red Banner Anti-Imperialist Collective CodePink Rise and Resist NY Communist Party, USA Salutation Dallas Antiwar Committee Socialist Action David Rolde for 2020 Green Southern Anti-Racism Network Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) Syracuse Peace Council Extinction Rebellion, NYC Syria Solidarity Movement Fight for Im/Migrants and Refugees The Union of Arab Academics (TUOAA) Everywhere (FIRE) Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones Freedom Road Socialist Organization and End the Wars Friends of Latin America US Department of Peace Gaza Freedom Flotilla US Friends of the Soviet People Global Network Against Weapons & US Peace Council Nuclear Power in Space USA Pakistan Freedom Forum Green Party of Monmouth, NJ Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Howie Hawkins for President Sanity (VIPS) Human Right Herald Veterans for Peace International Action Center Veterans For Peace/Chapter 021 International League of People’s Struggle Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice (ILPS) and Equality International Women’s Alliance War Resistors Kings Bay Plowshares WhatCom Peace and Justice Center Labor Fightback Network Women Against Military Madness Law and Disorder Radio Women’s International League for Peace Lynne Stewart .Org and Freedom (WILPF) Minnesota Anti-War Committee Workers World A Special Thanks to our Patrons, Sponsors and Supporters who make the Anti-Imperialist work of this grass roots coalition possible.
Patron More than $100 Marilyn Levin ------UNAC Ann Wright Theresa El-Amin Gaza Freedom Flotilla Southern nti-Racism Network Margaret Flowers Margaret Kimberley Popular Resistance Black Algenda Report John Soderberg Adam Bustillos Veterans for Peace Socialist Action George Gruenthal Sponsor, $100 Red Star Publishers ------Michael Smith Law and Disorder Radio Elizabeth Carson Kevin Zeese Popular Resistance Sara Flounders International Action Center Joe Lombardo Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace Nuri Ronaghy WILPF Charlotte Phillips Brooklyn for Peace Medea Benjamin CodePink
David Rolde Thomas Violett Green Party of Monmouth, NJ David Keil Labor Fightback Network Roger Kotila
Supporter, $50 ------John Koethen Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace Betty Davis New Abolitionist Movement (BIBC) Speakers Suzanne Adeley is a Global Labor and Human the Administrative Committee of the United Rights Lawyer and Organizer. National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). He is Co- She has worked on several labor Chair of Venezuelan Embassy Protectors and human rights projects in the Defense Committee; Coordinator of the United States, India, Egypt, and Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases ; Turkey, in various capacities. Co-Coordinator of the Hands Off Syria Coalition, Former India Project Coordinator and the People’s Mobilization; Chair of Iran of the United Auto Workers, Global Organizing Working Group of Veterans For Peace. Institute and has worked as a researcher and Ajamu Baraka is the national organizer of the organizer with the International Commission for Black Alliance for Peace and was Labor Rights. Adeley is on the bureau of the the 2016 candidate for vice International Association of Democratic Lawyers president on the Green Party and the a National Lawyers Guild International ticket. Ajamu is on the co-chair. She is the daughter of Arab Teamsters. Administrative Committee of the Pam Africa is the Minister of Confrontation of United National Antiwar the MOVE Organization and Movement. He is an editor and contributing coordinates the International columnist for the Black Agenda Report. His Concerned Friends and Family of latest publications include contributions to Mumia Abu-Jamal. Pam Africa is “Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic known for her determined Democracy and Self-Determination in Jackson, advocacy on behalf of Mississippi". Ajamu Baraka is a veteran imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal and the grassroots organizer whose roots are in the finally released MOVE 9 members. Pam is on Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid “front lines” nationwide fighting for end mass and Central American solidarity struggles. incarceration and systematic police violence. Pippa Bartolotti is a long time peace and Lana Akindes is an organizer with Students for justice campaigner who has a Democratic Society at UW- been leader of the Wales Green Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Party and energetic climate She is also an active member of change campaigner with the Coalition to March on the Extinction Rebellion. DNC, a progressive, left-led She has driven a convoy of coalition uniting a broad range of humanitarian aid across Europe to Gaza, been organizations to march on the Democratic imprisoned in Israel whilst on her way to the National Convention this July. Lana is involved West Bank, and has lived for extended spells in with many actions and campaigns in her area. Cuba. She has been an international observer These include an Anti-Trump rally, the Global documenting the rise of fascism in Ukraine. Her Day of Protest: No War in Iran, and the Free latest book, ‘BARBARIAN’, explores the Chrystul Kizer Campaign. dynamics of a post dystopian climate change world. Bahman Azad is an Iranian-American peace activist who has been involved in Judy Bello is on the Administrative Committee the struggle for peace and justice of the United National Antiwar since 1970s. Bahman is the Coalition (UNAC), a founding Executive Secretary of the U.S. member of the Upstate Coalition Peace Council, a representative of to Ground the Drones and End the World Peace Council at the the Wars and a member of the United Nations, and a member of board of Syria Solidarity Movement and One Democratic State of Frank Chapman the Co-Chair of the Chicago Palestine. She administers and moderates the Alliance Against Racist and UNAC blog, a website for One Democratic State Political Repression. He spent of Palestine (ODSP), and for Upstate Drone many years in prison where he Action. She has traveled with Peace Delegations organized and fought against to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria. discriminatory practices with the prison system and studied Medea Benjamin is the co-founder and director Marxist ideas. Chapman spent of the dynamic peace and justice a number of years as a organization Code Pink. She is also member of the Communist Party and today is a a leader of the fair-trade advocacy member of the Freedom Road Socialist group, Global Exchange. She is the Organization. author of a number of books articles on political issues and has Omowale Clay is a spokesman of the December organized tours to many countries that have 12th International Secretariat been under attack by the US. based in New York. The December 12th Movement is an anti- Alison Bodine is the Chair of Mobilization imperialist organization in Against War and Occupation solidarity with the national (MAWO), antiwar coalition in liberation struggles in Africa and Vancouver, Canada and a central has focused on solidarity and ending the organizer with the Vancouver sanctions on Zimbabwe. grassroots climate justice coalition Climate Convergence. Climate Jill Clark-Gollub is from a Nicaraguan-American Convergence is a leading organization in the family and lives in the U.S. When ongoing struggle against planet destroying violent protests broke out in pipeline and resource extraction projects. Nicaragua in the spring of 2018, she began devoting attention and Adrian Bonifacio is the national chairperson of energy to the story of the Anakbayan-USA (AB-USA), a Nicaraguan people, rekindling old grassroots organization of Filipino family ties and making new connections. Since youth fighting for genuine then Jill has attended two delegations to liberation and democracy in the Nicaragua, including one that she led in January Philippines. He is also a 2020 for Friends of Latin America, a Maryland- secretariat member of the based group that advocates for justice, peace, International League of Peoples' Struggle Youth and self-determination. Commission, a network of anti-imperialist youth organizations in countries all over the world. Bernadette Ellorin is the national spokesperson of the US Chapter of Bagong Carly Brook is from Seattle, WA and is the Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN general secretary of the USA, the main political center for Seattle/Tacoma chapter of the the anti-imperialist mass International League of People's movement in the Philippines the Struggles. Carly works as the forefront of the struggle for organizer for Washington national democracy with a socialist perspective. Physicians for Social Ellorin also serves as Vice-Chairperson for North Responsibility's nuclear weapons abolition America for the International League of Peoples program. Carly has learned from and organized Struggle or ILPS, a global anti-imperialist and with ILPS, One America, the People's Institute for democratic formation of 300 members present in Survival and Beyond, and La Resistencia. over 40 countries representing national and social liberation movements against imperialism and reaction. own blood. They are facing long prison Taryn Fivek is a southern transplant to New sentences for their actions. Clare has lived for York City where she is active in many years in Ithaca, NY, on Cayuga People’s struggles against racism, sexism, land, in Haudenausaunee territory. U.S. imperialism, anti-LGBTQ oppression and austerity, as well Karl Grossman is an award winning journalist as a proud labor activist in her and a preeminent resource on union. She is an adjunct lecturer in economics the weaponization of space. He and PhD student in geography at the City is professor of journalism at University of New York. State University of New York/College at Old Westbury, Sara Flounders is an American political writer and author of the books who has been active in “Weapons in Space” and “The Wrong Stuff: The 'progressive' and anti-war Space Program’s Nuclear Threat to Our Planet”, organizing since the 1960s. Sara among others. He’s also a longtime associate of is Co-Director of the FAIR, the media watch group that brings you International Action Center this show. (IAC), and on the Coordinating Danny Haiphong is Committee of UNAC, the Coalition Against U.S. Contributing Editor for Black Foreign Military Bases and the Sanctions Kill Agenda Report. His work has also Campaign. She also writes for Workers World appeared in independent media newspaper and publishes articles on the outlets such as The American International Action Center website. Herald Tribune, CounterPunch, and MintPress News. He is the co-author of the Margaret Flowers is a social justice organizer in recently released book, “American Baltimore Maryland. She and Kevin Zeese maintain Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A the Popular Resistance website and have a weekly People’s History of Fake News-From the radio show and podcast called Clearing the Fog. She Revolutionary War to the War on Terror”. leads the national movement for Single Payer Cheri Honkala is a nationally and Healthcare in the US internationally recognized anti- Glen Ford is Executive Editor of Black Agenda poverty and human rights Report, the weekly Black left advocate. She is the co- founder magazine of news, commentary and National Organizer of the and analysis, which he co- Poor People's Economic Human founded in 2006 with Bruce Rights Campaign. For the past Dixon and Margaret Kimberley. A 25 years she has dedicated her life to creating a lifelong activist, Ford has worked movement led by the poor themselves. as a broadcast and print journalist since 1970. He is author of “The Big Lie: Analysis of U.S. Margaret Kimberley is a co-founder of Black Press Coverage of the Grenada Invasion”. Agenda Report and has been [email protected] Editor and Senior Columnist since its inception in 2006. Her Clare Grady is a member of the Kingsbay first book, “Prejudential: Black Plowshares 7, a group of Catholic America and the Presidents”, Workers who entered the US was recently published. She Naval Base at Kingsbay, Georgia serves on the Administrative Committee of the and painted antiwar messages United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and on on nuclear silos and monuments the Coordinating Committee of the Black to nuclear weapons with their Alliance for Peace (BAP). justice issues, Mackler is the National Secretary Cassia Laham is a public school teacher in of Socialist Action and Socialist Action’s 2020 South Florida and long-time candidate for the U.S. presidency. activist in the Florida anti-war movement. Cassia co-founded Abigail Suzanne Martin is an American the South Florida anti-war group journalist and TV presenter. She People's Opposition to War, hosted Breaking the Set on the Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR) Russian network RT America from in 2012, which has been organizing against US- 2012 to 2015. In 2015, Martin led and US- funded aggression throughout the launched the investigative world, including Palestine, Syria, Iran, and documentary and interview series Venezuela, as well as the annual March to Close The Empire Files, originally hosted by Telesur. Guantanamo Bay at the gates of US Southern She recently made a film about the violence Command. Cassia has served on the United against Palestinians in Gaza, “Gaza Fights for National Antiwar Coalition administrative Freedom” committee for five years. Ray McGovern is co-founder of Veteran Lee Siu Hin is a Chinese immigrant activist in Intelligence Professionals for the US, holding two Masters Sanity (VIPS). He cut his analyst degrees from California State teeth on Russia's policy toward Polytechnic University, Pomona; a China in the 60s. In the early 70s long-time undocumented he led CIA’s Soviet Foreign Policy sweatshop worker. Lee is currently Branch. Ray conducted the one- the community, peace and on-one morning briefings of the President’s Daily immigrant rights activist, the national coordinator Brief from 1981-84. Ray speaks/writes about of the National Immigrant Solidarity Network, Cold War 2. He enjoys music and publicly Action LA and China-US Solidarity Network; for confronting liars like Rumsfeld, Clinton, Mueller, the past 20 years frequently travel between and Clapper. China and US. Camilo Mejia, was born in Managua, Nicaragua, Joe Lombardo is a longtime peace and justice but moved to the United States at activist. He is the co-coordinator an early age. After five months in of the United National Antiwar active combat in Iraq, Camilo Coalition (UNAC), and a former refused redeployment to his unit staff person for the Vietnam era in Iraq, choosing instead to National Peace Action Coalition publicly decry the war as an (NPAC). He has been a lifelong immoral, criminal war of aggression and was was trade union activist and is a member of the Troy court-martialed and jailed for desertion. Area Labor Council and Bethlehem Neighbors for Following 9 months of incarceration in Fort Sill Peace. He has written many articles on political military prison, Camilo was released and became issues and is a frequent commentator on TV and a writer, speaker, and activist in the military radio programs. resistance movement. His memoir, is “Road from ar Ramadi, the Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Jeff Mackler is a founder and Administrative Camilo Mejia”. Committee member of UNAC. He is the director of the Northern Makasi Motema is an organizer with Peoples California-based Mobilization to Power Assemblies NYC. Makasi has Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. Author of organized against police brutality, the 25 books and pamphlets on prison industrial complex, and the US economics, U.S. foreign policy, war machine. the impending climate catastrophe and social Tribe's Language and Culture Revitalization Diane Moxley is an activist and an attorney Program. and a member of the Green Party of New Jersey. Diane was a legal Rhonda Ramiro has been an organizer in the services attorney in Newark, NJ movement for National for over 14 years. She has stood Democracy in the Philippines against racism, imperialism, the since the 1990s. Rhonda was a military industrial complex and founder of BAYAN-USA in 2005, mass incarceration. Diane organizes with establishing the first overseas Extinction Rebellion (with a focus on chapter of the Philippines-based environmental justice communities) and The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (“New Patriotic Peace Congress in NJ. She is on the Board of Alliance”), a nationwide, multi-sectoral alliance Directors of the March on the Pentagon. She is of over a thousand grassroots peoples’ also a member of the U.S. Peace Council. organizations in the Philippines. Rhonda is currently the Chair of BAYAN-USA, a member of K.J.Noh is a journalist, scholar, and peace the International Coordinating Committee of the activist focusing on the ILPS, and a member of the Administrative geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific Committee of UNAC. region. He is a member of Veterans for Peace. He writes for Juyeon Rhee is an immigrant from South Counterpunch, Dissident Voice, Korea.who served as the Program and reports for local and Coordinator of Education and international media. Exposure Programs at New York based Nodutdol and has helped to Kim Ortiz is a activist organizer who has over organize annual delegations of US 10 years of experience of citizens to both North and South mobilizing the public for change. Korea since 2002. Most currently, Kim is a co- founder of NYC Shut it Down a Nuri Ronaghy After the CIA Coup d’etat and abolitionist group bringing the Shah’s repression Nuri’s awareness to police violence family was forced to migrate to and helping impacted communities achieve self the US. When she returned to determination. Kim is also the Women's Division Iran for her father’s funeral President of Copwatch NYC, a group that during the rule of the Shah, she protects communities of color by filming the was put in solitary confinement police and leading Know Your Rights trainings to in Evans Prison. Nuri is a 50-year member of youth. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). She is co-founder of the US Jean-Luc Pierite originally from Department of Peace, a leads the Women’s New Orleans, (Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Commission of the Party of Communists. of Louisiana), now resides in Revived Women for Racial and Economic Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Equality Jean-Luc serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Yasmeen Silva is the partnerships Manager for North American Indian Center of Boston. Jean- Beyond the Bomb. As such, she Luc serves on the Community Linguist seat of has represented Beyond the the Advisory Circle for The Institute on Bomb in key coalitions, Collaborative Language Research or "CoLang" advocacy groups and allied for the period 2016-20. He volunteers with his organization. She has worked on eliminating gender biases, violence and human rights abuses both in the US Philadelphia Joint Board - Workers United and is a and worldwide. lifelong antiwar organizer.
Alice Slater serves on the Board of World Yousef Zakaria is a Qatar University Beyond War and is a International Affairs graduate who Representative of the Nuclear had worked on a grant by Qatar Age Peace Foundation. She is on National Research Fund to Propose the Board of the Global Network Criminalizing Domestic Violence in Against Weapons and Nuclear Qatar. His background and Power in Space, the Global interests are human trafficking, Council of Abolition 2000, and the Advisory Board socioeconomic inequality and youth of Nuclear Ban-US, .She traveled to Russia and empowerment. He currently works at Global Kids China. She is a member of the NYC Bar and on the Sanctions Kill international campaign. Association and served on the People’s Climate Committee-NYC . Shaka Zulu is a lifelong resident of the Newark, New Jersey area. He is a former Michael Steven Smith is a retired New York political prisoner; having served City attorney now repurposed as over 20 years in the enemy the cohost of the nationally prison. During his captivity he broadcast radio show “Law and co-founded the New African Black Disorder“. His most recent book Panther Party - Prison Chapter in is “ Lawyers for the Left: In the addition to the Party's mass organization, The Courts, in the Streets, and on the United Panther Movement and has served as the Air”. He is Julian Assange’s lawyer in the United Chairman of both entities since their founding. States. He has written extensively on the subjects of political economy, sociology, capitalism, white Rosa Maria de la Torres is an Organizer with supremacy and mass incarceration. FIRE - Fight for Im/Migrants and Refugees Everywhere. She is a Kevin Zeese is an American lawyer and political community activist, for many years activist who has worked on a program coordinator of the ending the war on drugs and Chelsea Housing Group at Hudson mass incarceration, helping to Guild and a coordinator of annual organize the 2011 Occupy May Day March in NYC. Rosa Maria also teacher. encampment in Washington, DC community interpreting and translation training and supporting Chelsea Manning. at The Peoples Forum He currently serves as co-director of Popular Resistance. He is a member of the final 4 Scott Williams is an organizer with the Embassy Protectors whose recent trial resulted in International Workers Solidarity a hung jury and was declared a mistrial. Network and the International Action Center in Philadelphia. He helped organize major demonstrations at the 2016 DNC in Philadelphia and is currently organizing for major events at the RNC in Charlotte in August 2020. He is a member of the